Feature Stories

In studies of the motion of tiny swimming bacteria, scientists at Argonne National Laboratory found that the microscopic organisms can stir fluids remarkably quickly and effectively. As a result, the bacterial flagella could act like tiny motors to mix chemicals in biomedical kits, among other applications.

Argonne senior systems scientist Charles Macal and U of Chicago associate professor Diane Lauderdale received a grant from the Models of Infectious Disease Agent Study, funded by the National Institutes of Health, to begin a five-year study to mathematically model MRSA outbreaks.

The U.S. Department of Energy's Office of Science provided $60 million in ARRA funding for climate research to the Atmospheric Radiation Measurement Climate Research Facility, a DOE national user facility that has been operating climate observing sites around the world for nearly two decades.

Scientists at Argonne National Laboratory have discovered the microscopic mechanism behind the phenomenon of superinsulation, the ability of certain materials to completely block the flow of electric current at low temperatures. The essence of the mechanism is what the authors termed "multi-stage energy relaxation."

Researchers at Argonne National Laboratory are leveraging their broad and deep understanding of safe, high-energy and long-life Li-ion battery development to leap the high hurdles required for the development of commercially viable Li-air batteries.

Dealing with data is the specialty of a group of scientists at Argonne National Laboratory. To more easily share and analyze the mountains of data from today's scientific challenges, they are developing software that enables researchers to interact with their results in real-time from across the country.

General Motors Co., LG Chem, Ltd. and Argonne National Laboratory announced today they have reached a licensing agreement to use Argonne's patented composite cathode material to make advanced lithium-ion batteries that last longer between charges and can charge at higher voltages.

Researchers at Argonne National Laboratory, with support from the Institute for Systems and Computer Engineering of Porto, are developing new wind power forecasting techniques that they hope will allow power system operators and wind power plant managers to more accurately predict the amount of electricity that wind power plants will generate at any given time.